Anything But Ordinary
by snuggalong
Summary: Being in hiding doesn't leave much time for fun; Solo makes time and convinces the others to go to a karaoke bar. When Duo's singing skills are called into question, however, Duo decides to make the most of it - by dedicating the song to his best friend.


Author's Note: This one requires some explanation, so here it is.  
I am currently reading the story _A Streetrat's Tale_, a GW fanfiction being co-authored between Kibin Okami and Anonymous Void. I received permission to write this story from said author(s).  
This story takes place in the universe of _A Streetrat's Tale_, with the boys going a karaoke bar.  
If you want to know certain things about this story, such as WHY Solo is alive, WHY Heero is a pissed-off jealous bastard, WHY they talk about magic, and WHO is the Collective and other such random stuff, go read _A Streetrat's Tale._

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or _A Streetrat's Tale_: GW belongs to whoever it belongs to and _AST _and anything associated with it belongs to Kibin Okami and Anonymous Void. The song 'Ordinary Day' belongs to Vanessa Carlton. And the thought hamsters belong to Sunhawk. Everything else is mine. Which, looking over this...isn't much. Wow.

-  
**Anything but Ordinary  
**_By: Erin (Starember19)  
_-

Duo was bored.

Absolutely, excruciatingly, mind-numbingly _bored_.

Only a few days into their vacation/escape-from-evil-psychos in the Caribbean, he had completely exhausted everything he could think of to do that didn't go outside the Laws of Quatre.

(Read: Don't do anything stupid, reckless, or that would get us found or killed. Quatre was _scary_ when he was being controlling.)

He had pranked. He had watched movies. He had watched television. There was that ill-fated trip to the beach with Solo. The movie night that ended in disaster. He had even (shudder) picked up a book and attempted to read.

It turned out to be Wufei's Chinese book, and when said Chinaman was asked, it turned out to be a book on politics in Ancient China.

Boring, much?

So here he was. Lying on his bed at six in the evening. Staring at the ceiling.

Bored.

Everyone else was off doing something else, too. Heero was cleaning his guns (creepy obsessive), Trowa was off on a romantic walk on the beach with Hannah (they could go out, since they weren't being stalked by psycho magicians), Quatre was doing paperwork for WEI, Wufei was reading his politics book, and Solo was off...doing whatever it was Solo did whenever he wasn't attached to Duo's side like a blood-sucking leech.

He couldn't help a fond smile as he thought of his childhood friend. When all the others were being paranoid, panicking about being found by The Collective, or being their ex-Gundam pilot selves, Solo...was Solo. Sure, he was worried too, but he didn't let that overtake his life. Or Duo's for that matter.

They had spent long hours just talking about anything and everything, from life on the streets, Solo's time with Adrian, or even that one ill-fated discussion about whether or not Wufei actually had a stick up his ass.

Considering Wufei had walked in on them discussing that...well, not a pleasant experience.

And Solo was apparently currently attempting to live up to his carefree attitude as much as possible. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear...

"Kid, Kid, Kid, Kid—DUO!"

He looked up to see a hyperactive blonde bouncing into his room, a maniacal grin on his face.

"Solo, what are you—"

His words were abruptly cut off as he found a piece of 8.5 by 11 piece of paper shoved in his face. "Read, read, read!" Solo said excitedly.

Duo blinked. "Ethereal," he read slowly. "A club for all ages! Singing, dancing, karaoke, food, drinks, and anything else you can think of! 21 and over only after midnight—come for a fun time!"

He looked up at Solo, who was still bouncing. "And? Your point is?"

The blonde sighed exasperatedly. "C'mon, Kid! I know you're not that dense—or are you?" He suddenly looked thoughtful, and Duo glared at him, causing him to back up.

"Okay, okay! My point is, you guys are wayyy too tense! Ya need to get out more! And this is da perfect opportunity ta do it! C'mon—a couple hours won't kill ya!"

Duo blinked again, slowly sitting up and turning to face his friend, resting his head on his hands.

"Solo, in case you've forgotten, we're bein' chased by evil megalomaniacs who want me, bein' the Death Mage, under their control and influence, or they want to kill me. Likely the former. We are in hidin', if you remember, and I sincerely doubt The Collective is going to stop lookin' for the few hours we go to a club."

Solo had the decency to look a little bit ashamed. "I know that, Kid. But I just...okay…I suppose you're right..."

Now Duo felt guilty. "It's not that I don't want to go, Solo. I do. But..."

The blonde suddenly grinned. "What if I convince the others? Will ya go then?"

Duo laughed. "Sure. But good luck with that. I can barely imagine Quatre in a club, much less Heero, Wufei, and Trowa."

Solo merely grinned mysteriously and left the room, leaving Duo to pray for his life.

Three hours later found Duo in his room, dressing for a night on the town, still exclaiming wildly. "I can't believe you managed to convince them! Really! How'd you do it, Solo?"

The other, who had come into the room already dressed, grinned. "Wasn't that hard. Merely appealed ta his sense of reason. Because what isn't weird about six guys and one girl stayin' in a hotel, and never comin' out? He agreed rather quickly after that, and da others...well, did ya know blondie was that scary?"

Duo shuddered. "I did. He used the ZERO glare on them, didn't he?"

Solo blinked. "ZERO glare? There's a name for it?"

Duo chuckled and sighed. "Long story, tell ya about it later. How does this look?"

Solo looked him over and whistled appreciatively. "Lookin' good, Kid. If you were a girl, I would probably be all over ya right now."

Duo blushed. "Uhh...thanks," he mumbled, picking self-consciously at the hem of his shirt. He hadn't really had any idea of how to dress, so he had just picked something out and hope for the best. He was currently dressed in black leather pants, a tight black shirt with strange silvery designs across it, combat boots, and a leather jacket tossed over it all.

He looked over at Solo, hoping to find something to tease him about so he wouldn't feel embarrassed. Unfortunately, Solo was dressed practically the same as him, except his shirt was a solid dark green, so there wasn't much he could say without insulting himself as well.

"Ready ta go?" Solo asked, oblivious to his plight.

He nodded. "One last thing, though." He reached out to the dresser and grabbed his cross, fastening it around his neck. "All right, let's go."

They met the others at the entrance to the suite, and spent a few minutes looking each other over. They were all dressed for clubbing—tight clothes, leather, etc. Except Quatre and Hannah—Quatre was in dark pants and a button down, and Hannah was in a beautiful purple dress.

"Are we all ready?" Quatre asked. Upon receiving nods, he smiled. "All right, let's go!"

They made their way out and into the elevator. On the way down, Duo noticed the odd looks he was getting from Heero. They looked almost...passionate. It was quite frankly creeping him out. He scooted closer to Solo, who was standing beside him. Solo gave him an odd look before noticing Heero. He glared, resisting the urge to strangle the other with his own shadow and instead going for the less violent option.

"Back off," he mouthed over the other's heads. Heero death glared him back, but he didn't notice.

Trowa and Wufei watched this all with a growing sense of amusement. Tonight was sure to be interesting.

Pretty soon they were in the car and driving, and within fifteen minutes they were at the club, the whole way spent with Solo and Heero glaring at each other, Duo happily oblivious as he chattered to the amusement of the others.

They stepped inside the club and were assaulted by a wall of sound. The entire place was dim and smoky, lights flashing across a dance floor filled with a mass of people. A DJ was on the opposite end of the room, blasting music across the floor.

"Let's find a table," Quatre shouted through the din and they nodded, following him as he wound through the crowd. Eventually they managed to find a slightly secluded table near a set of windows, and they all sat down with a sense of relief.

"I'll get drinks," Quatre volunteered and vanished once more. Hannah swiftly dragged Trowa off to the dance floor, leaving a still glaring Solo and Heero, an annoyed and amused Wufei, and a still oblivious Duo.

"I'm gonna go to the dance floor, Solo, wanna come?" Duo asked his friend. Solo looked down for a moment. "Nah, I'm gonna drink somethin' first, Kid. I'll find ya later, all right?"

Duo nodded briefly. "C'mon, Wufei!" he cheered, and before the man could protest, he had dragged him up and into the dimness of the club.

Heero's glare intensified. "Stay away from him," he growled. Solo merely shrugged.

"And what if I don't? He wants me near, in case ya haven't noticed."

Heero ignored that and snarled. "Stay away from him or I will kill you."

Solo snorted. "You and what army? You tell me ta stay away, but have ya taken his feelin's into account? What do you actually know about Duo?"

"More than you," Heero retorted, causing Solo to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? Do ya know his fears? His hopes? His dreams? Do ya know his past?"

"Do you?" Heero asked, refusing to admit that the other was right.

"I do. And I also know the real him, unlike you."

And with that, Solo stood and walked away, intent on finding his Kid, leaving a dumbfounded Heero.

Quatre returned with the drinks to find only Heero. "Where'd they all go?" he asked. Heero merely grunted, "Hn."

Duo was having the time of his life. After Wufei had finally managed to escape from him (after three songs) he had merely let go and let himself have fun.

He finally extricated himself from the crowd and headed to the table, sweaty and flushed. At the table he found Heero and Quatre sitting, drinking.

"Hey guys!" he said cheerfully as he plopped down beside Quatre. "Not dancin'?"

"Not really, no..." Quatre replied. "The only dancing I know is formal ballroom stuff...for galas and such..."

Heero grunted.

"Aww, it's not that hard, Quat! You just jump around and twirl and scream a lot," Duo explained.

Quatre blushed. "It looks very...inappropriate..." he murmured.

Duo laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders. "I, master of dancin', shall teach you, Quatre, how to dance like a hooligan! C'mon! Heero, you come too!"

Heero debated. He could stay and drink and have no fun the rest of the night...or he could go and make a total fool of himself. (And possibly get to dance with Duo...)

"Hn," he grunted, and stood.

"All right!" Duo cheered, and grabbing both boys by the wrists, he dragged them into the crowd.

Solo was not having fun. He had been looking for Duo for ten minutes, but it was barely possible to move in this place, let alone find someone. Not only that, he had been half-molested no less than three times—and once by a guy!

Suddenly a voice yelled out, "Solo!"

He turned. There was the Kid—dragging blondie and the asshole with him.

"Duo!" he called back, hiding his slight annoyance. "There ya are!"

"Solo, you have to help me! Neither of these guys knows proper dancin'!"

Solo blinked and went into mock dramatics. "Oh, you poor deprived children," he said, patting them on their heads, ignoring how the asshole looked like he wanted to bite him. "Well," he grinned, looking at Duo. "We'll just have ta rectify that, won't we?"

Two hours later found all seven of the group finally back at the same table—Wufei looking scandalized and like he'd been molested, Trowa and Hannah both grinning (scary sight) and Hannah a little tipsy, and the four dancers looking thoroughly red and exhausted—at least Quatre and Heero. Duo and Solo were grinning like fools.

"Duo, how on earth is that...that..._that_ called dancing?" Quatre asked, flopping at the table.

Duo just shook his head. "Quatre, everyone here is young adults, some teenagers. This is how we do it. You don't ballroom dance at a club!"

"I must admit it was rather...odd..." Heero said, though secretly he had enjoyed watching Duo dance. He admitted to purposely messing up a few times so that the other boy would help him.

"Ya gotta loosen up, Heero," Solo said, drawing his name out. "Go with da flow, ya know. Hey! I'm a poet and I didn't know it!"

Duo groaned, as did the others. "Solo...I want to smack the guy who trained you for ten years...that is like, the oldest line in the entire book."

"But it's in da book," Solo said slyly.

Wufei still looked scandalized. "Do these people have no sense of honor whatsoever?"

Duo snickered. "Why, Wufei? Did someone grope you?"

When the man spluttered and blushed, Duo blinked and then began laughing hysterically. "Oh my god, someone did, didn't they? Are they even still alive?"

"Their limbs are still intact," Wufei retorted, still blushing. "Can't say the same for their honor, however. Injustice!"

Trowa shook his head. "I'm having a hard time imagining Wufei being groped..." Hannah giggled beside him.

"Well, whoever thought he would be here in the first place?" Duo asked.

Any retort Wufei might have made was cut off by the sudden absence of music, and the DJ's booming voice.

"Hey! How are all of you out there tonight! Welcome to Ethereal! Now, I know you want the music back, so I'll be brief! It's now 11:30, and all of the regulars know what that means—karaoke! So any of you want to get up here and sing a song, go ahead! We'll put on random music in between."

He stopped speaking, and a murmur went throughout the club. Within minutes there was a small queue at the stage. Hannah somehow managed to convince Trowa to join the queue, but it would be a bit before he got up there.

"Hey, Kid, you should go up there!" Solo said, nudging the smaller boy. "If I remember right, ya sing pretty well!"

At this, Wufei snorted. "Maxwell? Good at singing? The only music he ever listened to during the war could hardly be classified as music, and when he did sing along to an actual song, he sounded like a dying cat."

Hannah, who had never heard Duo sing, asked, "Surely he can't be that bad?"

Quatre shook his head. "As much as I hate to admit it, Wufei is right."

Heero grunted.

Solo turned to Duo, puzzled. He knew people's voices, especially guys, changed as they got older, but it couldn't have messed Duo's up that badly. Seeing his confusion Duo mouthed, "mask."

Solo immediately understood. It was part of the act Duo put on for the other pilots—the act Solo was trying to get him to drop.

Solo grinned. "I don't care! C'mon, Duo, get up there!"

"Solo, I don't want to..." he trailed off as Solo gave him a Look, one that promised severe pain if he didn't do as he asked. Dammit, he shouldn't have clued him in on his mask...that Look had always worked, even when they were kids.

"All right," he sighed, and everyone but Solo winced.

"You've done it now, Solo," Quatre sighed, as they watched the braided boy bounce away to join the queue.

Solo merely crossed his arms and sat back with a grin, one that said, 'I know something that you don't. NYA.'

"We'll see," he said.

Duo contemplated as he stood in the queue. He had given a quick wave to Trowa, who had looked surprised (and a little fearful), but he was near the front so they couldn't talk, which was good for him.

The truth was, he was actually quite good at singing. The few times during the war when he had been assigned to a school on a solo mission, the music teachers usually told him he had a wonderful voice.

Now Solo wanted him to shatter that part of his mask. Should he?

He let a slow smile overtake his face. Why not? It was time he let the others know he wasn't all of the fool they thought he was.

The grin turned slightly mischievous, with a hint of melancholy. If Solo wanted a song, he would get one—and one dedicated to him, too.

He knew the perfect song.

After fifteen minutes of suffering through horrid singing—though he had to admit, some were rather good, and Trowa's rendition of "I'm Yours" had been great, if effin' hilarious, with Hannah kissing him when he came back—the time finally came.

All of them looked up as the DJ came on again. "All right, next up we have one Duo Maxwell, who has opted to do a little introduction."

Duo came up to the microphone. He was nervous as hell. He could see all of the others watching.

"Hey, everyone," he said, thanking every god he knew of that his voice was steady. "Sorry for this, I know you want music, but I have a bit to say first. I've decided to dedicate this song to a very close friend of mine, whom I've recently found. He's been there for me through thick and thin, and this song is to thank him. So here's Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton, and this is dedicated to Solo."

Solo's head snapped up. To him? What was the kid trying to say? The others were just as shocked, though Heero was quietly seething. Why to _him_?

The club cheered, and Duo smiled nervously, looking back at the band. This song had a very quick start—he nodded. The dude at the piano nodded back, and played the first note.

And Duo began to sing.

_Just a day, just an ordinary day.  
Just trying to get by.  
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy.  
But he was looking to the sky_

All of the others—including Solo—were shocked. They because Duo's voice was clear, strong, beautiful, Solo because this song was for _him._

_And as he asked if I would come along_  
_I started to realize_  
_That every day he finds just what he's looking for,_  
_Like a shooting star he shines._

Duo's eyes were closed as he sang. He was barely aware of the club, putting everything he had into the song, which was now going into the first chorus.

_And he said take my hand,  
Live while you can  
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?_

He was remembering the first time he saw Solo, when the boy found him in a box in the middle of winter. He had been looking up at the sky—or what passed for the sky on L2—when he had stumbled upon the small, shivering boy. He had been reluctant to go with him at first, but the words, "Do you want to die, Kid?" had gotten him.

_And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words  
Although they did not feel  
For I felt what I had not felt before  
And you'd swear those words could heal._

He had quickly begun to look up to Solo, hanging on to his every word. And whenever it was all too much, and he felt like crying, Solo would hug him and say nonsense things, but it didn't matter because it was Solo.

_And as I looked up into those eyes  
His vision borrows mine.  
And I know he's no stranger,  
For I feel I've held him for all of time._

Then when he had woken up a week or so ago, to find Solo in front of him, still alive after all those years. He had broken down on him, not knowing what else to do. It was Solo, dammit, his best friend, his brother. He was entitled to cry.

_And he said take my hand,  
Live while you can  
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand  
In the palm of your hand?_

The music rose to a crescendo and Duo took a deep breath, opening his eyes. He mustered his courage and looked at the guys. All of them were staring at him in shock—but Heero had rage and...jealousy? in his eyes. And Solo...Solo look dumbfounded. But he also looked incredibly happy.

_Please come with me,  
See what I see.  
Touch the stars for time will not flee.  
Time will not flee  
Can't you see?_

After only a few days, Solo had effortlessly seen through his mask and called him on it. Had told him it was okay to be himself around him, to drop the mask for a little while.

_Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.  
As I wake in bed  
And the boy, that ordinary boy  
Or was it all in my head?_

So many times he had thought that this was all a dream—that Solo was just a figment of his imagination. He had awoken from several nightmares of Solo's 'death' gasping, only to look around and remember where he was, and who he was with.

_Didn't he ask if I would come along  
It all seemed so real.  
But as I looked to the door,  
I saw that boy standing there with a deal_

But Solo was there. He hadn't died. He was _there_. And though he had brought practically a whole new war with him...he was still Duo's best friend. His brother.

_And he said take my hand,  
Live while you can,  
Don't you see all your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?  
In the palm of your hand?  
In the palm of your hand?_

The music was winding down now, reaching its end. Duo smiled, a mysterious smile, as he sang the last verse.

_Just a day, just an ordinary day,  
Just trying to get by.  
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy.  
But he was looking to the sky._

The final note rang out through the club and the crowd burst into cheers, clapping wildly. He grinned and bowed.

"Thank you!" he said enthusiastically, and handing the mic to the next person, he hopped off the stage and headed towards the table.

He finally reached it and stood there, grinning like a madman at the expressions on his friends faces.

"Well? What'd you think?" he asked.

Quatre was the first to snap his jaw shut. "Duo...you..."

"When the heck did you learn to sing that well?" Wufei butted in.

"I could always sing that well, Wuffers. You're just ignorant."

Ignoring the sputtering, Duo turned to the person whose opinion he really wanted—Solo, who was staring at him strangely.

"Duo..." he said breathlessly. "That was...for me?"

Duo grinned. "No, not really."

Solo's heart fell. "It wasn't?"

Duo nodded. "Well, you're not exactly ordinary, are you, Solo?"

All of the others groaned, but Solo grinned, the trepidation leaving swiftly. "Nope, I'm not! How dare ya insinuate so?"

Duo shook his head and stepped forward to hug him—he had seen the flash of disappointment in Solo's eyes.

"Nope," he whispered, even as the others began to congratulate him on his singing. "You're anything but ordinary, Solo."

Solo smiled and hugged him back, easily ignoring Heero's glare—hey, the Kid had hugged him, not the other way around.

"And don't ya forget it, Kid," he whispered back.

-fin-

Everybody go 'awww,'—c'mon, you know you want to.

Ahem. Well, there you have it. All of my Song of the Eclipse fans—please don't kill me, this has been quite a while in the making. On that note, any SOTE people who read this—REREAD THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS! Completely, including author's notes. Explanations are there.

Much thanks to Kibin Okami and Anonymous Void for their support in this endeavor—especially for their great help in editing and for putting up with all of my emails to make sure I got everything right. Mostly just thanks to them for letting me do this. If you're into the Gundam Wing fandom at all, I _highly_ suggest you go read their stuff, and I even _more _highly suggest that you read _A Streetrat's Tale_. The thought-hamsters compel you. George may cuss you out if you don't...he seems to have a talent for that.

(I've been reading Sunhawk's 'Ion' Arc. Thus, the hamsters.)

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this and that it's given you some new stuff to read while you wait for me to get off my ass and update my other stuff.

Ciao!

-Erin


End file.
